Blog – Cardiac Sciencehttp://www.cardiacscience.com
Automated External DefibrillatorsTue, 06 Mar 2018 16:05:20 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/AED at Ball Field Saves Life of Iowa High School First Basemanhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cardiacscienceblog/~3/HNNMExt053I/
Tue, 04 Aug 2015 14:23:24 +0000http://www.cardiacscience.com/?p=6494A readily accessible automated external defibrillator (AED) at the ball field saved the life of Matt Shaver, a Johnston, Iowa, high school baseball player, this summer. The 18-year-old first baseman was outside the dugout during the second game of a home-field doubleheader when he experienced sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The high school’s trainer, Chris Wiedmann, called for an AED and started cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), […]

The 18-year-old first baseman was outside the dugout during the second game of a home-field doubleheader when he experienced sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The high school’s trainer, Chris Wiedmann, called for an AED and started cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), assisted by a nurse who had been watching the game from the stands.

An assistant coach brought a Powerheart® G3 AED. The unit diagnosed a shockable condition and administered two shocks to Shaver before an ambulance arrived.

Shaver was taken to a hospital where data from the AED gave doctors further insight into the cause of his collapse. His family was told he had experienced ventricular fibrillation, a heartbeat irregularity that causes the heart to quiver and prevents it from pumping blood.

“As scary as this all is, we were in the right place at the right time, with the right people to save Matt’s life,” Matt’s mother, Amy Shaver, told the school district. “It is critical for people to know CPR and be able to perform it when the situation arises. Further, knowing where an AED machine is located and how to use it can mean the difference in terms of life and death. We are incredibly thankful for the quick-thinking and medical skills of everyone involved.”

]]>http://www.cardiacscience.com/aed-at-ball-field-saves-life-of-iowa-high-school-first-baseman/Michigan school raises AED funds in memory of Wes Leonardhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cardiacscienceblog/~3/QYft_SJcHlo/
Wed, 15 Apr 2015 19:50:18 +0000http://www.cardiacscience.com/?p=5671Fennville High School in Fennville, Mich., hosted its 4th annual “Never Forgotten” game on Jan. 30 in memory of Wes Leonard. A member of the Fennville Blackhawks basketball team, Leonard, suffered sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) during a game in 2011. He collapsed just moments after making the game-winning overtime shot that gave the Blackhawks a 20-0 season. […]

]]>Fennville High School in Fennville, Mich., hosted its 4th annual “Never Forgotten” game on Jan. 30 in memory of Wes Leonard. A member of the Fennville Blackhawks basketball team, Leonard, suffered sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) during a game in 2011. He collapsed just moments after making the game-winning overtime shot that gave the Blackhawks a 20-0 season.

The cause of Leonard’s death was an undiagnosed heart problem — dilated cardiomyopathy or an enlarged heart. According to a 2003 review published in The New England Journal of Medicine, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the leading cause of SCA among athletes, accounting for roughly a quarter of deaths.

The game raised money for the Wes Leonard Heart Team, a foundation that has donated 126 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to Michigan schools in the four years since Leonard’s death. Cardiac Science partners with the foundation to provide discounted prices on Powerheart® AEDs.

This year’s celebration of Leonard’s memory was made even more special when Fennville High School’s Julian Martinez-Grigg took a pass from Mitchell Leonard (Wes Leonard’s younger brother) to make a half court shot at the end to tie the game. (The shot was featured on ESPN as its No. 2 play of the night.) Fennville then went on to win in overtime.

]]>http://www.cardiacscience.com/michigan-school-raises-aed-funds-in-memory-of-wes-leonard/Brookhaven Police use AED to save a lifehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cardiacscienceblog/~3/61QBbNHmQlQ/
Tue, 17 Mar 2015 13:51:52 +0000http://www.cardiacscience.com/?p=5439In 2013, the town of Brookhaven, Georgia, equipped all its police cars with automated external defibrillators (AEDs). A year later, three officers were able to respond in under a minute to a report of a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) incident in an office building and used an AED from an officer’s squad car to save a woman’s […]

]]>In 2013, the town of Brookhaven, Georgia, equipped all its police cars with automated external defibrillators (AEDs). A year later, three officers were able to respond in under a minute to a report of a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) incident in an office building and used an AED from an officer’s squad car to save a woman’s life.

A 54-year-old employee had collapsed at work, falling from her chair to the floor. Her co-workers began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and called 911.

Police first responders arrived in less than a minute. Officer Olen Boughner took over administering CPR from the woman’s colleagues. Officer Patrick DiCicco and Corporal Matthew Murray attached a Powerheart® G3 Plus AED to the victim; the AED detected a shockable rhythm and administered two shocks, reviving the woman before paramedics arrived.

Later that afternoon, Murray went to the Atlanta-area hospital to visit the woman he had helped save.

“She was completely awake, completely lucid and had no memory of what had happened; however, she knew where she was,” Murray told the Brookhaven Post.

“We arrive on scene many times before the fire department and ambulance crew,” Murray said. “In cardiac arrest situations we are able to provide definitive care with early defibrillation as well as early CPR.”

The December 2014 rescue was made possible through the fundraising efforts of The Friends of Brookhaven Foundation. In 2013, the group raised the money to equip all of the city’s police cars with AEDs.

Brookhaven, Georgia, police officers with the AED they used to save a woman’s life on Dec. 2, 2014. At left, Cardiac Science representative Mike Castleman.

]]>http://www.cardiacscience.com/brookhaven-police-use-aed-to-save-a-life/Spirit of St. Louis: City’s AED Program Continues to Shinehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cardiacscienceblog/~3/J5S1BJkx-p4/
Tue, 23 Dec 2014 21:27:25 +0000http://www.cardiacscience.com/?p=5182Over the past decade, the city known as the “Gateway to the West” has earned another moniker: heart safe. That’s because St. Louis’s (Mo.) Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) program, one of the largest PAD programs in the United States, has placed automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in city offices and buildings including the St. Louis public […]

]]>Over the past decade, the city known as the “Gateway to the West” has earned another moniker: heart safe.

That’s because St. Louis’s (Mo.) Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) program, one of the largest PAD programs in the United States, has placed automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in city offices and buildings including the St. Louis public schools. The aim: reducing deaths from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), which kills more than 360,000 Americans each year.

It has also equipped police cars and fire department vehicles with AEDs that first responders can use to help SCA victims in the critical minutes before an ambulance arrives.

This comprehensive PAD program has its roots in a Fire Department commitment to public safety that goes beyond its own direct services. The St. Louis Fire Department works hand-in-hand with the nonprofit St. Louis Fire Department Lifesaving Foundation, which has brought in more than $2 million from granting agencies, corporations, and other donors to purchase emergency preparedness and emergency services equipment for the city. The foundation recently helped establish the Fire Department’s $500,000 Simulation Center, a state-of-the-art training facility for first responders.

“The Foundation’s goal is to strengthen the city’s Chain of Survival, which includes citizens, first responders, EMTs and paramedics, and hospitals,” said Foundation Executive Director Rebecca Davis.

Ned Fryer, Curt Engler, and Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson.

In the next few months the Foundation will be providing more than $175,000 to purchase some 160 additional AEDs for the city. The first goal is to replace aging units on Fire Department vehicles with Powerheart® G3 Pro and Powerheart G3 Plus AEDs. The second goal is to purchase Powerheart units for municipal buildings.

At the same time, the Foundation will be working with St. Louis businesses to teach hands-only cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). According to the American Heart Association, hands-only CPR, given immediately, will more than double the chances of survival for a victim of sudden cardiac arrest.

“The hands-only CPR trainings are a way to expand that link in the Chain of Survival,” Davis said.

A Cardiac Science representative will be be involved in the trainings at area business, demonstrating the use of another link — the AED.

“We will take advantage of the trainings to urge companies to purchase AEDs for their own buildings,” Davis said. “It’s an opportunity for a company to help protect its employees and its customers as well as to help the city fill the gaps in PAD coverage.”

The Lifesaving Foundation was created in 2002 by two St. Louis business leaders, Edwin “Ned” Fryer and Curtis Engler, both with a deep commitment to public safety. Fryer is a partner in a leading city law firm and also a paramedic. Engler is a sudden cardiac arrest survivor who was rescued by the St. Louis Fire Department using one of its AEDs.

Cardiac Science is the exclusive provider of AEDs and comprehensive AED/CPR training and AED program management for the St. Louis PAD program.

]]>http://www.cardiacscience.com/new-aeds-st-louis-public-access-defibrillation-pad/Andrew Ortega Foundation donates school AEDshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cardiacscienceblog/~3/rL7FPxDlvOM/
Thu, 18 Dec 2014 16:00:32 +0000http://www.cardiacscience.com/?p=5194Four years ago Michelle Spencer lost her son, Andrew Ortega, a gifted student and athlete. The Rutherford, N.J., teenager died in his sleep, a victim of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Andrew was just 13. The family found out later that Andrew had lived with an undiagnosed heart condition (an enlarged heart) that put him at risk for SCA. Had anyone thought […]

]]>Four years ago Michelle Spencer lost her son, Andrew Ortega, a gifted student and athlete. The Rutherford, N.J., teenager died in his sleep, a victim of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Andrew was just 13.

The family found out later that Andrew had lived with an undiagnosed heart condition (an enlarged heart) that put him at risk for SCA. Had anyone thought to screen him for cardiac abnormalities, it’s likely that the signs of this condition would have been discovered, Spencer said.

Andrew’s parents, Jose Ortega and Michelle Spencer, started the Andrew Ortega Foundation in his memory. The organization is dedicated to making people aware of SCA, ways to prevent it, and ways to respond to it.

Its work includes equipping schools and community organizations with automated external defibrillators (AEDs) — devices that can walk a parent, coach, teacher, or even another student through the steps for a rescue. Once attached to the victim, an AED, such as the Powerheart® AED G3 Plus, can automatically diagnose SCA and, if it is appropriate, administer shock intended to restore the victim’s heartbeat.

In November, the foundation donated six Powerheart G3 AEDs to the Rutherford Board of Education.

“We live in Rutherford, my son attended the Rutherford school system, we host a 5K there, we do screenings there, and the AED donation is a way we give back to the community that supports us,” said Spencer.

Earlier this year, Janet’s Law went into effect in New Jersey, requiring all public and private schools (kindergarten through 12th grade) to have an AED on site and accessible, with clear signage.

“With the new law, Rutherford found they needed to update their AEDs,” Spencer said. “We were able to provide six of the 11 they needed.”

The Andrew Ortega Foundation has also been instrumental in advocating for legislation that would require cardiac screenings (including EKGs) for children who play organized sports. The Foundation has provided screenings at a local hospital for 160 Rutherford-area students.

Spencer said that while the hospital does not reveal information about test results, three families contacted her this year to say that, as a result of the foundation’s screening, they’d discovered that their child had indications of a heart condition. Another family had their daughter screened after a conversation with Spencer, and that child is now receiving treatment for a cardiac problem.

“We are getting the message out, and it is making a difference for people’s lives,” Spencer said.

]]>http://www.cardiacscience.com/andrew-ortega-foundation-donates-school-aeds/Boy Scouts save their leader after performing 45 minutes of CPR & defibrillationhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cardiacscienceblog/~3/283aOVMqQAw/
Thu, 20 Nov 2014 17:17:04 +0000http://www.cardiacscience.com/?p=5109“Bad experiences create good responses,” says Dr. Jose Lepervanche, a professor of management at Florida State College in Jacksonville. This is certainly true in his own life. After surviving sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in 2007, Lepervanche has become a staunch advocate for CPR training and automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for the Boy Scouts of America […]

]]>“Bad experiences create good responses,” says Dr. Jose Lepervanche, a professor of management at Florida State College in Jacksonville.

This is certainly true in his own life. After surviving sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in 2007, Lepervanche has become a staunch advocate for CPR training and automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for the Boy Scouts of America and for the American Heart Association.

Lepervanche thought he was in fine health in July of 2007 when he joined 900 scouts and other scout leaders on a wilderness camping trip in the mountains of North Georgia. His son Alejandro and his wife, Flor, were along. Several members of the group set off on a hike, including Lepervanche. When the 53-year-old troop leader suddenly collapsed on a table at the campsite, his fellow hikers thought he must be joking. But his wife realized something was seriously wrong.

Adults in the group quickly discovered Lepervanche had no pulse and had stopped breathing. They began CPR while some of the scouts ran back to the campground’s lodge to summon help.

The Camp Had an AED

Fortunately for Lepervanche, the Woodruff Scout Reservation had invested in an AED.

Ten minutes after Lepervanche’s collapse, the camp’s EMT arrived in a golf cart with a Cardiac Science Powerheart AED. The AED would administer 5 shocks to Lepervanche while the group continued CPR.

It was nearly 45 minutes after the initial cardiac arrest that a local ambulance arrived with sophisticated cardiac emergency equipment. Medical personnel wrapped Lepervanche in a special cooling blanket. He was transported to a hospital where he was placed in a medically inducted coma for three days. Lepervanche later underwent surgery to have a cardioverter defibrillator implanted in his chest.

Lepervanche says he was not just fortunate, but blessed, that he was surrounded by people who knew CPR and they were at a camp that had the AED equipment needed to save his life.

“In 2007, not many places had AEDs,” he recalls. “We could have gone to a camp in Florida, or one in North Carolina. As it happens, we decided to go to a camp in Georgia, and that camp had an AED.”

Ironically, the agenda for the scouts’ camping trip had included renewing CPR certification for leaders like Lepervanche.

A Spokesperson for CPR and AEDs

A longtime advocate for wilderness survival training and CPR, Lepervanche’s brush with death inspired him to become a “poster boy” for SCA awareness and AEDs.

“I am very aware that I am leading my second life,” he says. “In 2008, I began working with the Boy Scouts and local doctors to get AEDs donated to area troops.”

Cardiac Science has worked with Lepervanche and the Boy Scouts of America on several of those donations as well as on training events. As vice president of program for the North Florida Council, Lepervanche makes sure the council holds monthly CPR and AED trainings.

While Florida is not yet among the states that require high schools to have AEDs and make CPR training a graduation requirement, Lepervanche is working to make that happen. He says he hopes that more people in his community will soon have the skills and awareness that enabled his scouting colleagues to save his life at a remote mountain campsite.

]]>http://www.cardiacscience.com/scout-leader-sca-survivor-advocates-cpr-aeds/US Lacrosse takes stand against SCA by providing AED grants to 33 organizationshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cardiacscienceblog/~3/IAsk6BHNNko/
Thu, 30 Oct 2014 18:34:24 +0000http://www.cardiacscience.com/?p=4929Since 2007 US Lacrosse, the national governing body for men’s, women’s, and youth lacrosse, has partnered with Cardiac Science to provide grants to help lacrosse organizations purchase automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Grants totaling $16,000 were presented to 33 organizations in 21 states in 2014. “Having an AED on hand protects not just the players but coaches and spectators,” […]

]]>Since 2007 US Lacrosse, the national governing body for men’s, women’s, and youth lacrosse, has partnered with Cardiac Science to provide grants to help lacrosse organizations purchase automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Grants totaling $16,000 were presented to 33 organizations in 21 states in 2014.

“Having an AED on hand protects not just the players but coaches and spectators,” said Wendell Lee, director of programs for US Lacrosse. “We think it’s the right thing for all youth organizations, and we want to make it affordable.”

A study published in Pediatrics in 2009 found that while the rate of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) for lacrosse was similar to other youth sports, the rate of a heart problem called commotio cordis was relatively high (similar to the rate for youth hockey). Commotio cordis is an often fatal heart-rhythm abnormality triggered by a blow to the chest.

In 2008, two high school lacrosse players, Alex Beuris and James Hendrick, were struck during games, suffered commotio cordis, and were revived using AEDs. Lacrosse Magazinewrote that the two saves “drew needed attention to risk management at athletic events, specifically having an AED available at game and practice sites.”

US Lacrosse has been at the forefront of work to prevent commotio cordis and SCA and to increase the chances of survival for victims when sudden cardiac arrest occurs. Sports equipment for lacrosse (including chest protectors and official lacrosse balls) have been redesigned to decrease chances of commotio cordis resulting from a blow to the chest, Lee said.

At the same time, US Lacrosse has sought to heighten awareness of SCA and make AEDs available. Through an exclusive partnership with Cardiac Science, US Lacrosse members are extended discounted special pricing and support from the Cardiac Science AED specialists in their area to make purchasing an AED for their teams safety easy.

In addition to everyday partnership benefits, US Lacrosse members can also apply for an additional subsidy through US Lacrosse. The organization’s annual AED grant program provides recipient organizations with a highly discounted rate for a Powerheart® AED G3 Plus Automatic Unit with 7-year warranty. Since 2010, US Lacrosse has provided over $62,000 in AED grants to lacrosse teams, leagues, and organizations nationwide.

The chance of someone surviving sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is tripled when hands-only CPR is administered quickly and effectively according to Edward Stapleton, Associate Professor and Director of Pre-hospital Education at the university’s School of Medicine. Stapleton directed the hands-only CPR event.

Students, government officials, and retirees formed rows on the college’s football field for 30-minute training sessions. Using mannequins, they practiced pushing hard and quickly to achieve the optimal rhythm for CPR. They followed instructions shown on the stadium’s large-screen monitor.

“Hands-only CPR has just two easy steps,” Stapleton said. “If you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, first, call 9-1-1 and then push hard and fast in the center of the chest.”

The CPR training day received support from the Suffolk County Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services; the Stony Brook Volunteer Ambulance Corp.; the Louis J. Acompora Memorial Foundation; and Cardiac Science. Cardiac Science provided the mannequins as well as five Cardiac Science Powerheart® automated external defibrillators (AEDs) were awarded to the five largest teams at the training event. Karen Acompora, president of the Louis J. Acompora Memorial Foundation, announced the winners:

Camp Kasem from Stony Brook

Boy Scout Troop 74

Team Supreme (a student group at Stony Brook that will donate the AED to a community group or school)

Girl Scout Troop 2456

Grey College at Stony Brook

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone urged residents to learn hands-only CPR and download the county’s Pulse Point mobile application on their smartphones to help improve emergency response times for residents who may experience sudden cardiac arrest. James Gaughran, Chair of the Suffolk County Water Authority, also participated in the training. He said he hopes to develop a similar program for Water Authority employees.

Sudden cardiac arrest survivor Steve Tannenbaum, 61, of Merrick, NY attended the event. In 2009 Tannenbaum suffered sudden cardiac arrest while playing softball. He says his life was saved when a nurse and a former EMT performed CPR on him until EMTs arrived with an AED. Tannenbaum required three shocks from the device.

“Surviving a cardiac arrest can be a matter of luck,” Tannenbaum told Stony Brook organizers. “We want to change that and increase survival rates exponentially.”

The weekend event drew nearly 1,000 from the school and the surrounding communities.

“I have been teaching CPR for 45 years and have never trained that many people in one day,” Stapleton told the university’s news bureau.

]]>http://www.cardiacscience.com/stony-brook-holds-massive-cpr-training-event/How one city has successfully fought sudden cardiac arresthttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cardiacscienceblog/~3/MZxn7JfrOCg/
Fri, 12 Sep 2014 13:41:11 +0000http://www.cardiacscience.com/?p=4686Henderson, Nevada, the state’s second-largest city, has developed a comprehensive program to respond to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) incidents. The result? The city of more than 265,000 residents has one of the nation’s best survival rates (50 percent) for victims of SCA caused by ventricular fibrillation. This year Henderson was designated a HeartSafe Community through […]

]]>Henderson, Nevada, the state’s second-largest city, has developed a comprehensive program to respond to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) incidents. The result? The city of more than 265,000 residents has one of the nation’s best survival rates (50 percent) for victims of SCA caused by ventricular fibrillation.

This year Henderson was designated a HeartSafe Community through Nevada Project HeartBeat, a nonprofit that encourages awareness of SCA and helps communities organize response plans that include cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training and automated external defibrillator (AED) availability.

“The leaders in Henderson are taking the next steps, both in Emergency Medical Services and in public safety,” said Julie Redding, president of Nevada Project Heartbeat. “They are involving the public to recognize the signs of when someone is in distress, to employ CPR, and to use AEDs.”

The designation requires that cities address all of the elements of the American Heart Associations “chain of survival” — a system designed to maximize the chance that someone stricken with SCA will survive and be returned to health.

Henderson’s “chain of survival” includes:

911 operators prepared to instruct callers on handling a SCA incident

Police trained in CPR and police cars equipped with AEDs

A public access defibrillation program that equips city buildings and public areas with AEDs

A CPR training program for residents, schools, medical offices, and community groups

Emergency responders trained to provide pre-hospital assessment of patients, leading to quicker diagnosis and treatment of SCA

Ambulances with monitoring equipment that send advance information to the hospital

Hospitals prepared to offer SCA treatments such as inducted hypothermia

Henderson EMS Division Chief Scott Vivier is particularly proud of the AED loan program for sports events — a first for Nevada cities. Henderson officials were approached by a group of mothers who became concerned after a child suffered SCA on a soccer field.

“There was no AED at the park,” Vivier says. “Fortunately, there was a doctor on the scene who did CPR, and a fire unit with an AED arrived within two minutes.”

The child was successfully resuscitated, but concerned parents went on to establish the nonprofit Adam’s Heart and work with Henderson officials. Vivier’s team consulted with states where loan programs were in place, and designed a similar solution for Henderson.

“Before people check out the AED for an event, we give them a one-hour class in CPR and AED use. But once they take it with them, anyone at the event can use that AED,” Vivier says.

Henderson currently has more than 125 AEDs in city buildings, fire department vehicles, and police cars, in addition to more sophisticated defibrillators in ambulances. Vivier says the EMS team is working with the City Council on an ordinance to make it easy for businesses in the community to get AEDs and become part of a public access AED network. Henderson is also looking at ways to install permanent AEDs in community parks.

Cardiac Science is the current supplier of AEDs for Henderson, providing Powerheart® G3 Plus units. Cardiac Science is also the preferred provider of AEDs for Nevada Project HeartBeat.

“We encourage cities to look closely at the Cardiac Science Powerheart G3 AED, in particular for public access defibrillation,” Redding says. “Cardiac Science offers the best technologies and the best customer service, and they’ve really thought about what it takes to make a device specifically for the public access world.”

HeartSafe Community award presentation (left to right: Fire Chief Steven Goble; City of Henderson council members John Marz and Sam Bateman; Cardiac Science AED Specialist John Rittenberg; Mayor Andy Hafen; Nevada Project HeartBeat President Nancy Redding; and council members Debra March and Gerri Schroder)

]]>http://www.cardiacscience.com/nevada-city-recognized-cardiac-arrest-survival-rate/AED legislation, awareness increases foundation’s reach in New Jerseyhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cardiacscienceblog/~3/1aGKF-zVUpk/
Mon, 21 Jul 2014 15:00:56 +0000http://www.cardiacscience.com/?p=4459Back in March 2014; police in Newton, N.J., responded to a report than a man had been found in a high-rise apartment building, unconscious and with no pulse. The person who reported the incident began CPR, and officers arrived to take over within two minutes. They continued CPR and then pulled out their AED. The […]

]]>Back in March 2014; police in Newton, N.J., responded to a report than a man had been found in a high-rise apartment building, unconscious and with no pulse. The person who reported the incident began CPR, and officers arrived to take over within two minutes. They continued CPR and then pulled out their AED. The device recommended that a shock be given. Police reported that after four shocks, the victim revived and was able to breath on his own.

Stories such as this are becoming more commonplace in New Jersey thanks to the contribution of the Newton Medical Center Foundation, which has been at the forefront of AED awareness since its inception in 2001. In fact, more than 45 lives have been saved using automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

“Back in 2001, when the first-responder community found that AEDs were saving lives in the field, our board wanted to help our community acquire these,” said Jim Furgeson, director of community and donor relations for the Newton Medical Center Foundation. “We launched a program to provide AEDs to police departments, non-profits, and schools at a reduced rate, along with free training.”

The foundation’s program makes it possible for the organizations to buy an easy-to-use defibrillator for nearly 50 percent off the market price. Since 2012, the foundation has partnered with Cardiac Science to offer the Powerheart® G3 Plus AED.

Thus far, the Newton Medical Center Foundation program has trained more than 4,000 people and provided more than 400 AEDs. The program also provides physician oversight that is required for most non-profit and government AED programs.

Growing demand for AEDs in New Jersey

In 2012, the state of New Jersey enacted Janet’s Law, requiring schools to place AEDs in their buildings and sports fields by September 1, 2014. As schools hurry to comply with the new law, Newton Medical Center Foundation has received a record number of requests for AEDs — more than 80 in the first half of 2014.

As community awareness of sudden cardiac arrest grows, the foundation and the towns it serves are recognizing the contributions of first responders trained in CPR and AED use.

In February of this year, the foundation honored EMS squads in the Sussex County area. In June, the town of Newton honored four police officers responsible for recent rescues. The town’s patrol cars are equipped with AEDs, enabling officers get an AED to the scene of an accident within a minute or two of the time when the 911 operator takes the emergency call.

Newton continues to expand its AED coverage, with planning to install AEDs in the town parks in the coming year.

Hampton Fire Chief David Korver, who used an AED to revive his mother-in-law Karen Hansen (at the podium).